India

A fascinating portrait of one of the worldýs most important and interesting countries. India: From Midnight to the Millennium is an eloquent argument for the importance of India to the future of the industrialized world. Shashi Tharoor shows compellingly that India stands at the intersection of the most significant questions facing the world at the end of the twentieth century. If democracy leads to inefficient political infighting, should it be sacrificed in the interest of economic well-being? Does religious fundamentalism provide a way for countries in the developing world to assert their identity in the face of Western hegemony, or is there a case for pluralism and diversity amid cultural and religious traditions? Does the entry of Western consumer goods threaten a countryýs economic self-sufficiency, and is protectionism the only guarantee of independence? The answers to such questions will determine what kind of world the next century will bring. And since Indians will soon account for a sixth of the worldýs population, their choices will resonate throughout the globe.Shashi Tharoor deals with this vast theme in a work of remarkable depth and startling originality, combining elements of political scholarship, personal reflection, memoir, fiction, and polemic, all illuminated in vivid and compelling prose. This book makes an eloquent case for appreciating the importance of India to the future of the industrialized world. Tharoor shows how India, like other important countries, stands at the crossroads in facing the twentieth centuryýs key issues of democracy, religious fundamentalism, cultural pluralism, consumerism and protectionism.